Korean
Black Press September
1905 ber 1905
Korea is not a Pawn
September 5, 1905, the Treaty of Portsmouth
became official. The bloody
Russo-Japanese war has finally come to an end.
Japan has now forced Korea into a brutal
agreement and now has full control over the country. How many wars need to be fought until
someone recognizes that Korea is its own country, with real people, not to be
used as a pawn in the chess game of war and politics?
Japan,
while gaining prestige for Asia, is acting just like another Western
Imperialistic power, only without the blond hair.
President Theodore Roosevelt of the United States of America was the mediator. Negotiations were held in Portsmouth, New Hampshire from August 9 to September 5. As well as Korea, the Japanese now have complete control the Liaotung Peninsula, Port Arthur, the Southern Manchurian Railroad, and half of Sakhalin Island. The Russians, in their defeat, were forced to give up Southern Manchuria. Now it belongs to China again.[1]
Baron Komura, when asked about the significance of the treaty, replied, “We have just signed an act which will forever have a place in the annals of history. It is not for us, active participants in the conclusion of this treaty, to pass judgment on its importance or significance. As negotiators on behalf of the Empire of Russia and the Empire of Japan, we may with tranquil conscience say that we have done all that was in our power to bring about… peace.”[2]
It all began because Japan wanted to prove to the world that it was the biggest kid in the sandbox, with the most toys. The Daily Graphic, a London journal, remarked that with this victory “Japan secures the respect of the world.”[3] Komura wanted Japan to compete with the West, both militarily and economically.[4] With the Treaty of Portsmouth, his dream has come true. It needed to beat Russian territorial expansion. They have ceased to care about crushing their neighbors. The Amur Society and Black Dragon society are egging on this ambition to have an Imperial Japan.[5]
Russia did not expect war with Japan. They were considered the best army and Japan, small and Asian, was not a threat. Japan knew that Russia was superior in numbers and in stamina, but that they still had a chance at a short, localized war. The war was bloody, with heavy casualties on both sides: 85,000 Japanese and 125,000 Russian, but Japanese morale was strong The 400,000 Japanese managed to defeat 2,000,000 Russian troops.[6]
Glory for all of Asia is incidental to the Japanese. They are a vicious and revengeful people. During the Boxer Rebellion in 1900, Russia promised to remove their troops from Manchuria but failed to follow through, creating the distrust among the Japanese that Russia soon paid for. At the same time, Japan was still bitter about losing Port Arthur after the Sino-Japanese War and China subsequently leasing it to Russia.[7]
All this time, Japan and Russia are squabbling, with their entire focus on national prestige, national glory, they are occupying our country, oppressing our people, and shaming our emperor.
On February 8, 1904, the Russo-Japanese War began and Japanese began her emergence into the world of western powers. They attacked Port Arthur, using Korea as a staging area for their plans. A staging area! Everyone remembers the March of that year when they came in to occupy Korea. Then came battle after battle when the Japanese defeated again and again the strongest army in the world. In the last land battle, 330,000 Russians fought and 270,000 Japanese fought. There were heavy casualties on both sides: 89,000 Russians and 71,000 Japanese. [8] Komura called The Treaty of Portsmouth a “treaty of peace and amity.”[9]
This greatly tired out the Japanese
army, which could probably not have fought much longer, but it proved to the
Russians the need for peace. This
was reaffirmed when the resilient Japanese army, lead by Admiral Togo
Heihachiro destroyed the Admiral Rozhestvensky’s Baltic Fleet. [10]
Now there will be a lot of talk about Japan. They have just shown that an Asian country can be a huge world power in this new capitalistic world. Yet they have done so at Korean expense. What end can justify this means? We have no reason to believe that they will not act just as Britain or France would if they had control of us instead.
Korean men beware! They wanted us for defense against Russia, profit, and national prestige. Now they have it. Your livelihoods and your wives and children are at stake! Japan wanted to get to us first, instead of some other country, like we’re a piece of meat at an auction. Another country’s occupation of Korea would be detrimental to Japanese security and stability. Japan is ensuring its own security by keeping sole influence in our country.[11]
Naval capacity and transportation, even though improved by the building of the Trans-Siberian Railroad which was completed in 1904, was still inferior to the extremely efficient system of the Japanese.[12]
Even when the Russians had troops in Manchuria, they couldn’t reinforce
with either men or supplies because they didn’t have adequate transportation.
Japan has been treating us as if we were children, not to be taken seriously, our humanity forgotten in their aspirations for Japan’s
imperialistic greatness. Japan, forced by diplomatic pressure from the West, were forced to give up Port Arthur, territory gained in the Sino-Japanese War, and then see China lease it to the Russians in 1898, grew embittered. [13]
Koreans watch your pockets! The Japanese are now 1,142 million yen in debt which means we’ll be paying for it ourselves, more likely than not.
Sources
[1] Russo-Japanese War 1904-1905” <http://www.onwar.com/aced/data/romeo/russojapanese1904.htm> (27 January 2003).
2 ”Overview of Our Country: Volume
8” <http://www.angelfire.com/ca6/minuteman/chapter157.htm>
3 ”Overview of Our Country: Volume 8” <http://www.angelfire.com/ca6/minuteman/chapter157.htm>
4 Beasley, W.G.. Japanese Imperialism
1894-1945. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1989.
5 Beasley, W.G.. Japanese Imperialism
1894-1945. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1989.
6 Russo-Japanese War 1904-1905” <http://www.onwar.com/aced/data/romeo/russojapanese1904.htm> (27 January 2003).
7 “Introduction,” <www.russojapanesewar.com/intro.html> (27 January 2003).
8 Russo-Japanese War 1904-1905” <http://www.onwar.com/aced/data/romeo/russojapanese1904.htm> (27 January 2003).
8 E
9 Russo-Japanese War 1904-1905” <http://www.onwar.com/aced/data/romeo/russojapanese1904.htm> (27 January 2003).
1 Beasley, W.G.. Japanese Imperialism
1894-1945. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1989.
[1] Russo-Japanese War 1904-1905” <http://www.onwar.com/aced/data/romeo/russojapanese1904.htm> (27 January 2003).
[1] Beasley, W.G.. Japanese
Imperialism 1894-1945. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1989.
IMAGES
http://www.fotw.ca/flags/geo-asia.html (map of Asia)
http://www.seacoastnh.com/navyyard/3.html (Baron Komura and Minister Takahira
riding into Portsmouth)
http://www.fsmitha.com/h3/map24-ma.html (map of the area of Manchuria, Korea,
and Japan)